GSA releases FAR changes for comment

The General Services Administration is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulation that would place greater emphasis on government contractors' past performance when they bid on new awards.

The proposed rule would make changes to regulations, policies and guidance associated with contractor performance, said Susan Tonner, vice president of the Public Sector Group at the Information Technology Association of America, in canvassing ITAA member companies for their reactions to the changes.

The proposed changes would broaden the definition of past performance to include both active and completed contracts. It would also clarify how to use the Past Performance Information Retrieval System, the governmentwide repository of performance information.

Contracting officers would be required to include past performance when evaluating certain orders placed against Federal Supply Schedule contracts or for task orders or delivery-order contracts awarded by another agency ? that is, governmentwide acquisition contracts or multi-agency contracts.

Also, agencies would have to identify the individual responsible for preparing the evaluation of the contractor's past performance.

A working group created by the Office of Federal Procurement Policy and the Acquisition Committee for E-Gov hammered out the proposed changes.

The Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council have agreed to some, but not all, of these changes, the Federal Register reported.

The deadline for public comment is June 2.